Coin-controlled vending machine



J. RIEDMUELLER. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1921- Patented Sept. 19, 119220 3 SHEETSSHEET I.

awwamtoz Jacob RW LMuQ lQV $11 Z7) J. RIEDIVIUELLER.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1921.

1 4Ig9 33 I Patantedi ept. 19, 11922.,

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

TM 0110 RR AmuQIIMW J. RIEDMUELLER.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1921.

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UNHTED STATES JACOB RIEDMUELLER, OF NEVT YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed June 28,

a machine of this character wherein novel means are used for the control of its operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which is electrically operated and in which a trigger mechanism is used to close the electrical circuit by the intermediary of the coin or check.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the coin or check is automatically released to drop into a suitable receptacle after each operation of the trigger mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this class in which cams are used for controlling the liquid dispensing mechanism, and for breaking-the circuit and resetting the trigger mechanism after each dispensing operation.

The invention furthermore includes novel means for dispensing the liquid and for actuating ,the liquid dispensing mechanism from a motor by means of a train of gears which also controls the operation of the cams.

With these and other objects' in view which will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds, a preferred form of the machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of my invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective'view of an outer casing for the machine constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the liquid dispensing vessel taken along line 2-2 of Figure 3, partly in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of my machine with the front of the casing partly broken away. I

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the coin controlled trigger mechanism and the resetting mechanism for the same partly in section taken along line t4 of Figure 3.

1921. Serial No. 480,948.

Figure 5 is a side view thereof, partly in. section, taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the cam mechanism controlling the liquid dispensing co mechanism, the view being taken along line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a detail view of a modified form of guide for the liquid dispensing pressure plunger.

In the drawings, 10 designates the casing in which ,my machine is contained, and which rests upon legs 11 of any desired suitable length.

The front wall of the casing shows a box 7 0 12 containing the trigger mechanism and provided on top with a coin slot 13 and on one of its sides with the operating lever 14 projecting from the box 12. The front wall of the casing has a faucet 15 below the box 12 and underneath thereof a tray 16 supporting a cup 17 or similar vessel for the reception of the liquid dispensed by the apparatus upon the insertion of a coin or check in slot 13.

On one of its side walls the casing 10 is equipped with a socket 18 for the attachment of a wire plug, the wires of which lead, as customary, to any desired or suitable source of electricity.

Within the casing 10 a frame is supported by means of its foot part 19 secured to the base plate 20 of the casing in any convenient, well known manner.

This frame consists of the uprights 21 and 22, and an upper cross bar 23, horizontally disposed and parallel to the top wall of the casing and having its free end rectangularly bent to" form an lL-member 2a.

The member 24 as well as the uprights 22 and 21 form bearings for a horizontally disposed shaft 25 carrying near its inner end, between the uprights 21 and 22, a gear 26, and near its opposite end it is guided through longitudinal slots 27 and 28 in the 00 side walls of a rectangular casing or frame 29 laterally disposed to the L-member 2 1, and secured by its bottom plate to the upper end of a plunger rod 30, adapted to vertically reciprocate through a suitable opening in the bottom bar of the L-member,

\Vithin the casing or frame 29, the shaft 25 carries an eccentrically arranged cam 31 adapted to rotate therewith, and spaced from the side walls of the frame 29 by collars 32 0 and 33. Near its upper end the frame 29 is provided with an element 34 or roller adapt ed to be engaged by the larger operating part of the cam upon itsrotation to raise said casing -or frame 29 as will be more fully described hereafter.

The lower end of the plunger rod 30 carries a late working in a guide vessel 36 provided with holes or openings 37, which is arranged within a liquid container 38 between thev outer and inner walls of which a layer of cork 39 or other heat or cold insulating material is located. A small ice container 40 is suspended into the container 38 by means of its hook 41 or the like.

The lower face of the plate 35 has the form of a cone frustum 42 finding its seat on the flared upper mouth 43 of a vessel 44 when the plunger is in its lowermost position. The vessel 44 is formed with the botton 20 of the casing and depending therefrom; its bottom has an opening 45 communicating with the upper end of a pipe 46, the lower end ofwhich is connected with the faucet 15. A vent pipe 47 leads from the vessel 44 to above the container 38.

As shown in Figure 7, the rod 30 may be guided through a guide bracket 48 through which also the vent pipe 47 is passed.

As shown in Figure 3 a short shaft 49 1s journaled in the uprights 21 and 22 parallel to shaft 25 which carries, laterally disposed to the upright 21, a large operating gear 50 in mesh with gear 26 on shaft 25.

A motor within a casing 51 has its shaft 52 extended beyond the upright 21 behind the same, and carries at its free end in rear of the upright 21, a gear 53, in mesh with. the large gear 50.

A shaft 54 is journaled in the uprights 21 and 22 below the motor shaft, and carries laterally disposed to the upright 21 a gear 55 in mesh with gear 53.

Laterally arranged to the inner wall of upright 22, the shaft 54 carries a disc 56 provided with a finger 57 and secured to the shaft by means of a collar 58. Between the collar 58 and the gear 55, in approximately the center between uprights 21 and 22, shaft 54 carries eccentrically secured thereto a cam 59 between the collars 60 and 61.

The box 12 has secured to its bottom plate 12'- an upstanding ridge 62 to which is attached a laterally disposed tubular socket 63 the upper mouth of which is partitioned o as at 64 and the partition 64 forms with two downwardly directed ridges65 and 66, a coin or check slot 67 which may be made to suit any width of coin which, when inserted in the slot 67 will glidev down along the ridges 65 and 66, until it falls flat upon the bottom plate 12 of the box 12 underneath the tubular socket -63. This socket 63 is un dercut atv its base for allowing the entrance of the outer blade-shaped end 68 of the operating lever 14 which is pivoted as at 69 to the base plate 12. A spring 70 is secured -at'77 ,to the ,79 to the base with one end to the base plate 12' as at 71, and with its other end as at 72 to the lever 14 and tends to hold this lever normally in a position in which its inner end does not enter the slot or undercut in socket 63 but remains at the entrance thereto, while lever 14 is freely movable within a slot in the side of the box 12.

The base 12, of the box in front of the coin socket 63 has a uare opening 73 with which communicates t e upper end of a coin chute 74, the lower end of which ends in a coin box 75.

The coin deposited upon the base plate 12 of the box 12, upon the operation of 68 of the same and be brought into contact with the lower, rounded rear edge of a trigger pawl 76 pivoted at its upper end, as

late 12. A spring 8 secured with one end, as, at plate 12' and with its other end to the rear edge of the pawl 76, tends to normally draw the lower end of the pawl toward the coin socket.

Intermediate its ends, and near a shoulder 80 of said pawl its upper face carries an upstanding pin 81 carrying a roller 82 which is adapted to engage 'in a recess 83 1n the lower, flattened end 84 of a rod 85, the rear edge of which is engaged by a guide pin 86 in the base late 12. This flattened end 84--is guided t rough a yoke 87. The rod is integrally made with the flattened end 84 which forms shoulders 88 and 89.

The lower end of the rod 85 is guided through a yoke 90 on base plate 12, and

intermediate its end it carries a fixed collar 91 while between this collar-91 and the yoke 81 with the shoulders 88 and 89 of part 84 resting against the yoke 90.

The free end of rod 85 carries a plate 93 to which are secured the lower ends of fork elements 94 and 95. A roller 96 is journaled on a shaft 97 between the elements 94 and 95.

The fork element, 95, has an upwardly directed finger projection 98 having a bevelled free end edge 99. The prongs of the forked elements 94 and 95 grip over .the. shaft 54 on both sides of the cam 59 and its collars while the'bevelled edge 99 of the finger 98 is adapted to engage the lower projecting nose 100 of a sliding element vertically reciprocating between guides 101 secured to the inner face of the upright 22. The upper, re'ctangularly bent end 102 of the, sliding element carries a contact 103, adapted to be brought into engagement with contact members 104 and 105 insulated from upright 22 by insulation 106. To these contacts the ends of wires 107 and 108 are secured leading to the motor which is started upon the circuit.

closure of the circcuit over the contacts in which a source of electricity is located.

A spring 109 connects the upper end 102 of the sliding element with a pin 110 secured in the guide 101.

The machine operates as follows:

A person desiring to obtain a drink, deposits a coin or check in slot 13 which will enter the slot 67 in socket 63 and be deposited flat upon bottom 12 in front of the operating end 68 of lever 14. The operation of this lever towards the operator against the action of spring 70 will press thecoin against the rear edge of trigger pawl 76 and force the same to swing around its pivot 77 against the action of spring 78 so that roller 82 will be disengaged from the recess 83 in the fiat part 84 and this part, as well as the rod 85 integral therewith, will move under the action of spring 92 forward and bring the bevelled end 99 of finger 98 into engagement with thenose 100 of the vertically sliding element carrying the contact 103 at its upper end. During the engagement of the nose 100 and finger 98, the sliding element and contact 103 will be elevated to bring contact 103 into engagement with the contacts 104. and 105 to close the motor The rotation of the motor shaft 52 will rotate gear 53 and by the intermediary of gear 50, gears 55 and 26.

The coin deposited in front of end 68 of lever 14 after having operated the pawl 80 will fall through the opening 73 into the coin chute 7e and the successive coins will be collected in the coin box 7 5.

The contact 103, will remain in engagement withcontacts 104C and 105 until the pawl 59 with its larger operating part during the rotation of shaft 5 L will engage roller 96 and press the forked elements 94 and 95, their connecting plate 93 and rod 8 1 backwards against the action of spring 92 so that the recess of the flat part 84: will engage roller 82 under the assistance of spring 78 and return the trigger pawl 80 into its normal position in which it is ready to be engaged and operated by another coin. Tn the meantime the spring 109 will have disengaged the contacts.

The finger 57 on disc 56 will limit the further rotation of the gears under the centrifugal force by its engagement with the nose 100.

Upon the rotation of the gear 50 from the motor the gear wheel 26 on shaft 25 will also rotate and bring the operating part of cam 31 into engagement with the bottom plate 29 and depress the same and the plunger rod 30 connected thereto so that the plunger will press part of the liquid contained in the container 38 into the vessel 44 from where it will flow through pipe 46 and the faucet into the cup 17. It will be clear that the size of the cam will be so selected that only a certain amount of the liquid, about as much as it takes to fill cup 17 will be pressed out of the receptacle or container 38.

The continued rotation of the shaft 25 will bring the operating part of the cam into engagement with the roller 34 so that the plate 29, plunger rod 30 and plunger 35 will be elevated while the slots 27 and 28 in which the shaft 25 is located allow this upward movement. 1

The movements of the parts are so timed that during this upward movement of the plunger, the coin operated trigger pawl will be returned into its normal position in which it is ready for another operation by a coin or check inserted in slot 13.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, andvdesire to protect by a United States patent isi 1. In a coin operated vending machine of the class described, a pair of contacts adapted to close a motor circuit when brought into engagement, a trigger mechanism, an operating lever for operating said trigger mechanism by the intermediary of the inserted coin, a spring controlled rod, a bevelled finger on said rod, said finger adapted to close the motor circuit by efi ecting an engagement between said contacts, upon the operation of said trigger mechanism, a train of gears adapted to be operated upon the closure of the circuit, means for breaking the circuit, means for automatically resetting the trigger mechanism after each operation of the train of gears upon the closure of the motor cir- .cuit, means for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid upon the closure of the motor circuit, and means for returning the dispensing means into their normal position after each operation.

2. In a coin operated vending machine of the class described, a pair of normally disengaged contact elements adapted to close a 110 motor circuit when engaged, a means for normally holding said contact elements disengaged, a coin operated trigger mechanism including a bevelled finger adapted to bring said contacts into engagement after each in sertion of a coin, a train of gears adapted to be operated upon each closure of the circuit, a shaft for one of said gears, a cam on said shaft adapted to automatically reset the trigger mechanism after each revolution. of said shaft, upon each operation of the tri ger mechanism by a coin, a means actuated by said train of gears for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid upon each closure of the motor circuit and means for returning the dispensing means into their normal position upon each resetting of the trigger mechanism.

3. In a coin controlled vending machine of the character described, a pair of con- .tacts, means for normally holding saidcontacts disengaged, a coin operated,'spring cohtrolled trigger mechanism for engaging said contacts when :a coin is inserted to close a motor circuit, said mechanism comprising a base plate, a coin chute on said base plate having an. undercut lower edge, an operating lever adapted to enter with one of its ends the chute through the undercut thereof, a spring controlled trigger pawl pivotally secured to said base plate, means for normally holding said trigger set, said lever engaging a coin entered through said chute for guidin' it against said trigger pawl, to release t e same, a means for receiving the coin dropping through a hole in the said base plate after each operation of the trigger pawl, a sliding rod having a recessed flat end, a roller on said pawl adapted to engage the recess in the flat end of said rod, a forked element at the opposite end of said rod, :1 train of gears, a shaft for one of said gears passing through said forked element, a pawl on said shaft, a finger on said forked element adapted to close a motor circuit upon the operation of said trigger pawl by a coin, and a roller Within said forked element adapted to be en aged by said pawl after the shaft has ma e one revolution upon the closure of the motor circuit, for guiding the parts back into their normal position in which saidtrigger pawl is set for a fresh operation by a coin and the motor circuit is broken. i

4. In a coin controlled vending machine of the character described, a frame, a stationary contact on said frame, a guide secured to said frame, "a vertically movable element guided in said guide, a contact upon the upper end of said movable element, a nose at the lower end of said element, and a spring for automatically returning said movable element into its position of rest disengaged from said stationary contact, a coin operated trigger element having a finger, said nose adapted to be engaged by the finger of said coin controlled element to close the circuit upon each insertion of a coin, means for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid upon each operation of said trigger element to close the motor circuit and means for returning said dispensing means into their normal position of rest after each operation.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JACOB RIEDMUELLER. 

